Latch.



No. 755,923. PATENTBD MAR. 29, 1904.

T. OSHAUGHNESSY.

LATCH. l

APPLICATION -IILED JULY 29, 1903.

N0 H ODEL.

-Hdif asses 7c for;

= UNITED STATES Patented March 29, 1904;."V 3

PATENT OFFICE.

THoMAs osHAUeHNEssY, oF sAN JosE, CALIFORNIA. f

LATcH.` f

SPECIFICATION forming part ofY Letters Patent'No. 755,923, 'dated March 29, 1904.-

` Applicativi filed any 29,1903. serai No. 167,481. (No man.)

To l/Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that LTHoMAs OSHAUGHNEssY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Jose, inlthe county'of Santa Claraand State of California,A have invented anew and useful Screen-Door Latchof which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fasteners for screen-` doors and for similar structures, vand has for its object to provide automatically-operating means whereby screen-doors and other closures of this character will be held yieldably closed with sufficient force to resist the reverse action of wind or air currents, but which will yield to a force sufficient to overcome the resistance of the holding means.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction, as hereinafter shownv and described, and specified in the claim.

In the drawings illustrative of the invention, in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the device with the triplatch in its withdrawn position. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the trip-latch in its projected position.

The improved device is designed more particularly for use upon screen-doors and othersimilar structures having spring-hin ges to hold them yieldably closed, but which may be employed upon any door or other closure to which it is adapted, and I do not, therefore, wish to be limited in the use of the device to any specific form of structure, but reserve the right to its use in connection with any form of structure to which it is adapted.

In the illustrative drawings, 10 represents aportion of acasing or frame adjacent to the doorway-opening, and 11 a portion of the free or swinging side of the door-frame.

The improved device consists of a casing or shell 12, having a base 13 by which it is secured to the casing, the shell being open at the top and closed at the outer end, as at 14, as represented. The shell 12 will preferably be formed of a sheet-metal plate folded together,

as shown. Said shell or casing is also provided at its upper edge with a downward curve or sloping portion 12, the special purpose'of which willr be hereinafter L.made apparent. `Within the shell 12a latch member 15 is lintermediately pivoted at 16, with the outer end 17 restingwhen in its withdrawn position 55 against `the inner side of the end 14 and the heel end 18 preferably rounded and engagedy by a springv 19, as shown. ,Extending upwardly from the latch member 15 is 'a triparm 20, the latter so disposed that when the 6c operative end 17 iswithdrawn into the .shell the arm will be projected, as in Fig. 1, 'and when the operative end is projected the portion 2O will be withdrawn, as in Fig. 2.` Between the heel end 18 and the arm 2O a recess 65 21 is formed in the latch member, into which the free end of the spring will enter Awhen the latch member is projected, as shown 'inFig 2.

Attached to the door 11 and projecting therefrom is a pin 23, adapted to pass over the up- 7o per side of the shell 12 and engage the arm 20 as the door is closed, with the effect of tripping the latch member and throwing the end 17 upward into the rear of the pin and at the same time depressing the heel end until the spring enters the recess 21, which thereafter exerts its force to maintain the latch member in yieldable engagement with the pin and correspondingly hold the door yieldably closed.

It will be observed that the shell or casing 8o 12, which is attached to the door-casing, forms .a support for the pin 23, which latter -is attached to the door, and that consequently the latter is prevented from sagging. It will also be seen that the slight sag to which-light structures of this kind are very liable will not interfere with the engagement of the pin 23 with the latching device, owing to the fact thatthe shell or casing 12 is curved at its engaging end, as shown at 12a, which will at all 90 times readily permit the engaging pin to pass onto the upper edge of the casing and into engagement with the latching device.

The heel end of the latch member, it will be observed, is in a relatively long curve substan- 9 5 tially concentric to the pin 16,so that the spring bears with substantially equal force upon all points of its surface, so that the arm 2O will encounter a substantially uniform frictional'resistance until the point 22 passesthe spring and I 00 permits it to enter the recess 2l. By this means the resistance to the closing of the door is uniform and will not increase as the door approaches its seat, which is the case with springs as ordinarily arranged. This is an important advantage and adds materially to the value and efficiency of the device and also materially decreases the force necessary to operate the door.

The pin 23 may be attached in any desired manner, but will preferably be provided withV a laterally-extended plate by which it may be secured by screws to the door.

The device will preferably be located at the quently require such heavy springs that the slamming and jarring resulting from the impact of their closing causes much annoyance and is very objectionable; but with the simple attachment herewith shown the closing- 5springs need only be strong enough to close -the door, and in cases where the doors can be hung to close by gravity the closing-springs may be dispensed with, as the resistance of the latch member is so slight, owing to the curved heel surface 18, as above described.

The device may be employed upon any size of door and may be manufactured ofany suitable material.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is*- In a device of the class described, a casing having a base-plate attached to a door-frame,

said casing having spaced side members and a downwardly-curved upper edge, a latch member pivotally mounted between the walls of the casing and comprising a heel member having a concentrically-curved upper edge, an outer arm and a trip-arm disposed between said heel and outer member and separated therefromby recesses, and a spring secured to the baseplate, bearing against the concentricallycurved heel member and adapted to engage the recess between the latter and the trip-arm of the latch member, in combination with a pin secured to and extending from a door adapted to slidingly engage the upper edge of the casing and to engage between the trip and the outer member of the latch.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS OSHAUGHNESSY.

Witnesses:

CHAs. A. SAWYER, RALPH G. STIGH. 

